


Dr Potts, I Presume

by Siria



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 20:38:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1831474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siria/pseuds/Siria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dr Potts, I presume?" Tony said, making what Pepper was sure he thought was a gallant bow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dr Potts, I Presume

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flyakate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyakate/gifts).



> Written for a prompt by flyakate; thanks to sheafrotherdon for betaing.

"Dr Potts, I presume?" Tony said, making what Pepper was sure he thought was a gallant bow. He bent low over her hand and pressed a kiss to it before saying, "That is an excellent hat, Pep, really, it's—how many sides does it have? That is a very fetching octagonal pouffy velvet hat, just so you know." 

"It's traditional," Pepper said, fighting not to let her neutral smile turn into a grin. She accepted the offer of his arm as she came down the stage steps. She'd run across gratings in heels higher than this, but she hadn't been wearing academic regalia or had the lenses of a dozen paparazzi trained on her at the time—better to take Tony's arm than make the home page of news sites for the wrong reasons. 

"All the best Tudors rocked out in octagonal pouffy velvet," Tony said solemnly. "Henry VIII was known for it. That and the whole beheading thing, I mean. Totally a tradition, Dr Potts."

"You were clear about the honorary part of the honorary doctorate, right?" Pepper said as they joined the line of degree recipients slowly processing out of the auditorium. Her hand was still tucked into the crook of his elbow; Tony used his free hand to flash the peace sign at some of the parents who were taking pictures of their graduating children. "I'm not actually going to use the title, that would be gauche. Please tell me you haven't ordered any changes to the company stationery."

"What's good enough for Stephen Colbert is good enough for Forbes' Most Powerful Woman in Business 2013," Tony said. "Who is also on Time's Top 100 List, and Vanity Fair's Best-Dressed, not to mention Maxim's—"

" _Not_ to mention that," Pepper said firmly. She'd had to give Jarvis strict instructions not to let a single copy of that issue onto Stark Industries' property. 

"—but really I think the hat speaks for itself," Tony continued. "It is eloquent. It is a silver-tongued chapeau." 

"You are a ridiculous man," Pepper murmured, acutely aware that the Indian ambassador and a distinguished Brazilian philanthropist were a couple of steps behind them. This was nothing at all like her undergraduate commencement had been; she was starting to feel nostalgic for anonymity and a musty-smelling, rented polyester robe.

"Acute and empirical insights like that are why you have the doctoral degree and I do not," Tony said as they finally neared the door. 

Only the knowledge that there were several cameras trained on her stopped Pepper from rolling her eyes. "You had two master's degrees by the time you were nineteen."

"Yeah," Tony said, with that odd note in his voice that he only got when he was being perfectly serious, "but only because MIT had to give them to me to get me out of there. You'd be surprised how quickly the allure of more promised donations wears off once you've exploded a lab or three. Or seven. Places only bring you back for stuff like this if you're valued."

Pepper's eyes prickled with unexpected tears. 

"So," Tony said, determinedly looking anywhere but at her as they finally emerged into the breezy warmth of a summer's morning, "what do you say to a celebratory kiss? Keep the paps happy, keep you happy, keep me _very_ happy, publicity for all, I promise first base, barely first base, no hands invol—"

Pepper leaned in and let her hair fall around her face so that no one would be able to lipread what she said. "If you're very good during the reception, I'll wear the hat tonight."

The glazed, slack-jawed look which that earned her was maybe not ideal for media purposes. It—and the way he kissed her afterwards—was worth it.


End file.
